Simon: Winning is all that matters for Nigeria

Nigeria winger Moses Simon said team victory was more important than individual accolades after being named the TotalEnergies Man of the Match in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final triumph over Angola.
Simon set up Ademola Lookman’s first-half winner that sealed a 1-0 victory to send the Super Eagles into the semi-finals.
The Nantes player was awarded the best player of the match award but insisted collective success was the priority.
“I’m very happy, but the most important thing is that we won,” Simon told reporters in the post-match press conference.
“You can be a man of the match, and your team loses the game.”
Despite firing blanks in recent matches, Simon also backed striker Victor Osimhen to rediscover his scoring touch.
“The atmosphere is good in the team. Osimhen is thinking about winning, not just scoring,” he said.
“If he gets a chance to score, he will take it, but he’s focused on the team victory first.”
The 28-year-old Simon won this tournament’s second Man of the Match award after earning the accolade against Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.
His assist for Lookman’s winner was vital as Nigeria advanced to the last four in their bid for a fourth African crown.